Cancelled!

September 18, 2018

Our men’s Bible study last night dealt with how as Christians we think about money. At the conclusion, pastor Joe asked us to think about our attitudes and what God might be saying to us. I’ve been doing just that.

Four years ago, I lent a considerable amount of money to a friend in need. He promised to pay it back in a few months. Those months went by, as did many more. He repeatedly told me he would begin paying me, but never did. He started avoiding me, and eventually just dropped out of sight and sadly, out of church. In my mind, I determined that I wasn’t going to ask him about it; after all, Scripture tells us to lend without thought of return (Luke 6:35). Most of the time it didn’t bother me, but every once in awhile, it popped back into consciousness, and I would find myself getting irritated and resentful. This was supposed to be a loan, not a gift. The issue wasn’t the money as much as it was my friend’s dishonesty. God has blessed us, and although it would be nice to have it repaid, I don’t need it. 

Last night’s challenge prompted me to finally put this whole thing to rest, so I wrote to my friend, releasing him from his debt. I needed to put it in writing before I could really let it go. Sometimes we need to draw a line in the sand, to make a clear and public declaration, whether it’s finances or faith. It’s too easy to deceive ourselves into believing we’ve dealt with something just because we’ve thought it and prayed it through. The reality is, until a commitment is public, it is meaningless. 

There is a blessing in all this: I am finally free of this unholy bondage to that debt. The Scripture says that the borrower is slave to the lender (Proverbs 22:7). In my case, it was the other way around. Tonight however, those chains have been broken, and I am free. Praise be to God!